Eurasian global partnership will compete with US projects

18.06.2016

Vladimir Putin announced plans for the establishment of the great Eurasian partnership involving the EEU and China. Nursultan Nazarbayev, in his turn, proposed to establish a partnership in the Eurasian and European unions. How real is the prospect of “our answer” American project of TRANS-Pacific and Transatlantic partnerships?

“Proposed to consider the creation of a great Eurasian partnership with the EEU (Eurasian economic Union) and countries with whom we have developed close relationships: China, India, Pakistan, Iran and, of course, referring to our CIS partners, other States and associations”, – transfers its words of RIA “news”.

According to Putin, “we could start with simplifying and harmonizing regulation in the field of industrial cooperation and investment, measures of technical, sanitary settlement, customs registration, protection of intellectual property rights. The Russian President noted that cooperation with the EAEU, expressed the readiness of the order of 40 States and international organizations.

The Russian President said earlier that Moscow supports the proposal of Kazakhstan to focus on further deepening cooperation between the Eurasian economic Union (EEU) with other integrations, primarily the SCO and ASEAN.

Earlier on Friday, calling for cooperation between the EU and the EAEU was made by the head of one of the States of the Eurasian economic Union – the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.

“Disintegration and economic isolationism will not solve any internal problems, it will be only self-deception,” – said Nazarbayev at the session of the SPIEF-2016. “The Eurasian economic Union are interested in effective, stable European Union, which wishes to cooperate closely. Similarly, a United Europe benefits from the cooperation with our integration Association,” Nazarbayev is quoted by RIA “Novosti”.

The President of Kazakhstan has a reputation as a supporter of the Eurasian project, which to date is embodied in the form of the EEU. But on a European-Eurasian partnership Nazarbayev spoke, perhaps for the first time.

Recall that the EEU is an international integration economic Union created on the basis of the Customs Union and the common economic space starting from 1 January 2015. Its current membership are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

“A good response to what is America”

The establishment of the great Eurasian partnership between the EAEC and other countries will be a good response to the economic expansion of the United States that create the TRANS-Pacific and Transatlantic partnerships, believes the first Deputy Chairman of the profile Committee of the state Duma on international Affairs Leonid Kalashnikov.

“I think that’s a good response to what is America, covering its economic expansion or pseudo-democratic political purposes,” – said Kalashnikov. “And we see, and China sees that we are trying to isolate. Someone faster – through sanctions, using pseudoelement like Ukraine, someone slower, like China, but at the same time without inviting the TRANS-Pacific partnership. And once we see it, we need to unite,” – said the Deputy.

Said parliamentarian agreement on the TRANS-Pacific partnership (TPP) was signed on 5 October 2015. It will created a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific region. In the Pacific countries account for 40% of the world economy and a third of world trade. The parties to the agreement, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam, and Australia and New Zealand.

Since July 2013, the EU is negotiating about the Transatlantic partnership agreement in the field of trade and investment (TTIP). We are talking about creating the world’s largest free zone with a consumer market of about 820 million people. In addition to the US and EU countries, the project will include Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland and the candidate countries for EU membership.

New breath

Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on foreign and defense policy Sergey Karaganov said that the past three years, he and his colleagues talked about the need for Russia to shift to the creation of the community of greater Eurasia, where she played the role of security provider and liaison.

“This project has strong prospects, given the rise of China to the West in the framework of the concept of the economic belt of the silk road, which is, roughly speaking, economic expansion in Europe, and the movement of Russia to the East. Europe is now in a very difficult situation, in crisis, and she needs to provide a long-term project that would give her a new breath,” – said the expert newspaper VIEW.

He recalled that Russia proposed the concept of a Large community of Europe, but partners refused, and as a result collapsed the European security system.

“Now we need to think about the future. This is the future not only for Europe, including new countries for the whole of Eurasia. If Russia will move to this community, it will be beneficial to all. In this community will not and cannot be hegemonic, as the role of China will be balanced by the power India, Iran, Russia. And it will give a huge opportunity for China because it will be able to immerse the community in its prevailing power, and he will be less afraid. Afraid of him now because he is very strong,” said the Karaganov.

The expert expressed confidence that Russia will be able to convert their political opportunities in the economy. For this it is necessary to competently use their own advantages in the West and the East. “In this sense has a unique location: the East of Russia, Siberia. There are new great opportunities for Asia”, – concluded the expert.

Will it build?

However, the head of the national energy security Fund Konstantin Simonov offers to wait and see how it will look this “cute idea”.

“This idea is long in the air. Its even called the big Asian Assembly. Indeed, in Asia formed a few flagship Nations with well-developed economies. Added to that, and Iran. We understand that it is a powerful market. In this respect, the idea of the particular enterprises of these economies is reasonable,” – said Simonov the newspaper VIEW,

However, the expert, this group of countries lack of political contradictions that shows the partnership in the framework of the SCO and BRICS.

“There is a beautiful abbreviation of the structure, but often some real dynamic filling we are not seeing. Countries have their interests. Even during sanctions we understand that our partnership with China is developing, but we hoped for a much larger trend. And when we talk about a single economic zone, then we understand that there is a lot of issues: economic barriers, the movement of capital, labour force… It is here in the harmonization of economy will require a large amount of time. The economy is different in nature: Russian, Chinese, Iranian, Indian… Combine them into a single entity would be extremely difficult” – the expert predicts.